ANIMAL
MAGIC
LIVING WITH A PET CAN BE HUGELY REWARDING FOR
FAMILIES. AS WELL AS PROVIDING A CONSTANT SOURCE
OF FUN AND FRIENDSHIP, DOGS IN PARTICULAR CAN HELP
YOUNGSTERS WITH EMOTIONAL AND HEALTH ISSUES
'Chloe is very
special to us'
SOMEONE WHO
HAS SEEN THE
POSITIVE
EFFECTS OF
PET THERAPY
IS TASH LAW, A 28-YEAROLD NANNY WHO OWNS
WEST HIGHLAND TERRIER
CHLOE, A THERAPY DOG
'Whenever I felt upset about
something or a family member
was unwell, Chloe would sense
it and become very protective
towards us. I once had an
asthma attack and she quickly
alerted my brother by barking
and "pulling" him into my room,'
reca s ash ro
ondon.
'I knew there was something
very special about her, so I decided
to contact the charity Pets As
Therapy to see if she would make
a suitab e candidate.
er y
references were checked, Chloe
underwent a number of tests to
ensure she had the skills required
to be a therapy dog - and she
assed with flying co ours.
'I was very keen to work with
children and so I have been
taking Chloe into a hospital unit,
where she provides comfort to
kids with severe eating disorders.
'Every time we visited, the
children's eyes would light up
and they were a lot happier in
the time they spent with Chloe.
'One week, a child opened up
to me about her problems and
my heart melted as she hadn't
spoken or participated in any
"therapy" sessions all week. It
transpired the girl had bonded
with Chloe and told me the dog
had given her the con dence
she needed to speak up.
'Chloe has such a calm nature
- she never stops wagging her tail
when she sits with the children,
and they seem to let their guard
down as soon as they are in her
company. It's lovely to see.'
274 | AUGUST 2017

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